Posts Tagged ‘lilongwe’

Simyoni Village Art Project

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

The first  Gogo village we got to visit was Simyoni where a multi-purpose room was awaiting our painting. They had asked for volunteer help and 30 youth were ready and waiting.

I had taken with me 50 butterflies to be painted with the paints and brushes, and when I didn’t find them appropriate in Lilongwe, I wondered if I was bringing them back home unused.

WRONG, the good Lord knew they were for here. All of these kids (teens) had never painted, held a brush, or participated in anything artsy! They soooo got into it! At times it was overwhelming when they all wanted to paint on the walls, but we corralled their enthusiasm and got the job done from 10-4pm.

Steve and I returned on Sunday to glue the butterflies to the wall and seal all the work.  The quality suffered, but they all took ownership. What a lesson!  A gift from Leslie Lewis – in memory of her mom – helped to complete this building.  What a legacy!

Leaving Friends

Monday, September 20th, 2010

We were overwhelmed by our last day in Lilongwe.  The Dedication of our artwork and the appreciation that came our way, as well as saying adieu to the wonderful Jansen family. There are so many emotions tied in with both experiences, they are heartfelt and words just can’t do it.

What a wonderful, warm, loving time for Steve and I. We felt welcomed, that we were of some small service, made friends, and made good friends better friends.

We are Zomba bound to relinguish all our luggage’s contents (panties, caps, scarves etc) in the villages that have Gogo Grandmother groups in them.

Be safe, dear ones in Lilongwe.  God Bless you as richly as you have blessed us!

Moms In Touch – Malawi

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

Most of you know of my loooong involvement with a group called Moms In Touch International. Well, I had the privilege of meeting the country coordinator, Mwawi Nyirongo! She is one busy lady!!

If you remember earlier in my trip, I visited the Crisis Nursery and fell in love with all the babies waiting for homes. Well, I got out the information on how to contact Mwawi and give her a hug from MOMS only to find out that she is in charge of the nursery, but hadn’t been there the day I had visited.

What an amazing woman; no kids of her own, but the mom to many, and a heart to have her country praying for their children.  I left her a Village Prayer Guide (from Leslie Lewis) and a huge hug from praying moms everywhere.

Jane’s Quilt

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

Jane Keefer, this little boy is the proud recipient of your quilt, ball, a cap and some socks.  His name is “Edward John Mwale” and his mom is Agnes. He is two weeks old and came after several days of labor and then a c-section, and then 9 days hospitalized with a fever. But he’s ok now, in fact, he is PERFECT!

Name Game

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

These are the names of some of the people I have met while here…honest!

  • Rejoice
  • Patience
  • Smart
  • Good
  • Gift
  • King Hezekiah
  • Blessing
  • Often
  • Innocent
  • Trouble
  • Chance
  • Excel

and a little two year old I met yesterday named Desire.

Can you picture some of the introductions…”Hello I’m Good.”

Winding Down In Lilongwe

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

We have a bunch of painting to finish tomorrow, our last full day here at Partners in Hope.  But the BIG project is done. We were to paint a peaceful African scene in the Education Room. It is where newly diagnosed AIDS patients come to learn how to live with the virus. So it is a fearful and stressful time for them.

Our goal was to give them some tranquility. The painting was massive and there are lots of landmarks represented:  Mt.Mulanje, Zomba Plateau, Lake Malawi, Liwonde game preserve, tea plantations, and Psalm. 121:1-2


We are thrilled that on Friday morning they want to dedicate all our work during their morning devotion service.  They want to talk about the efforts and then for us to give them all a tour. That’s quite an honor we don’t take lightly. It has been an amazing blessing to US!

Reality Check

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

There’s a serious side to life in Lilongwe, Malawi.  We visited it this past weekend when we went to Mtsiliza Village.

You could say it’s the equivalent to an inner city slum. But  some amazing Christian programs take place there, and sanitation and communal wells are scattered about the very large neighborhood.

We visited “Children of the World” where they feed 565 children each day (so they know they get one meal each day) and also run a Widows ‘Club. This  group of widows of all ages, greeted us with hugs and awesome singing. They each have learned a skill — knitting, sewing,etc — that they can use to generate some income. With all of their treadle machines in the background, we  learned from them how widows are at the bottom of the totem pole; since their alignment with their husband’s family no longer exists, they are on their own with nothing to call their own!  I have two treadle machines as night stands in my bedroom I wish I could give them.

They had items to sell, and though we didn’t need anything, we purchased a bunch. How I wish I could have gotten a CD of their singing!

The quantity of people this small country sustains is huge and because most Malawians reside in their small villages (and grow what they eat) this transitional inner city “slum” is the exception, not the rule like other African countries. The inhabitants in Mtsiliza are trying to find work and move out and make a better life for themselves down the road. But it was sure dirty, and poor, and bleak, and but for the grace of God…

What I Know About AIDS

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

Well, we have spent  over 3 weeks working around and with people with AIDS, and I thought I should learn a little more.

Back in the 1930’s,  a tribe in Senegal that hunted monkeys and were in contact with their blood, caught a Simian form of immune suppressing disease; the monkey form of HIV. They know this from archaic blood samples that have since been analyzed.

Now in order to take the next leap, the medical community figures that when mass immunizations started to eradicate childhood diseases, maybe a noble health care worker ran out of needles (they were not disposable then) so you might have to use 10 needles to vaccinate 100 people. You saved lives wiping out polio and such, but you unknowingly spread AIDS.

The gay community took it out of Africa, but also the traditions of the village culture spread it rapidly here. In some groups, when a girl became of age, a designated elder took away her virginity. And if a woman’s husband died, then a member of her husbands family had sex with her to erase the family link so she could marry again. Carriers spread the virus like wildfire.These are some of the ingrained customs that the medical people are fighting against.

So each day we come to the clinic where 50-100 people are lined up to see doctors and get their month’s supply of ARV’s (anti viral medications). The education room that I just painted, is where newly diagnosed patients get some training in how to LIVE with AIDS, including nutrition, sleep, cleanliness, and education. People don’t have to die from AIDS (tho’ there lives will be shorter due to stress on other organs etc). But pride and non compliance of doctor’s orders many times keep them from a healthy life.The saddest is the babies, but only one in three HIV mothers give birth to an infected infant.

In the capitol here, 18% of the population has the virus. But the more alarming statistic is about 80% of all women have been raped (this includes the “traditions”).

So that’s what I know now.

Panels In Dark Places

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

Before coming to Malawi, I contacted  the Hospital Art Foundation. They are a great outfit that gets organizations to pay to paint canvases of various  subjects, usually as a team-building event.  Then they donate these paintings to hospitals. The color and vibrancy brings cheer to even the darkest corner of the Moyo Clinic.

This may have been our toughest task after getting them over here.  Hanging 6 panels, one inch apart, level, and above the folk sitting on benches waiting to see the doctors.

The Moyo Clinic sees 3600 people a MONTH, all of whom have AIDS or a complication of AIDS. And for FREE.  Even the medications are dispensed gratis thanks to the USA. These doctors are volunteers and missionaries who raise their own support in order to work long and hard, and not without some peril.

They are truly the Light in Dark Places.

Baby Weigh Station

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

Well Noah got finished! The weighing and measuring table is in front of it and this stencil is courtesy of Catherine Delft. Catherine is family to the Jansen’s, and she mailed this to me in the states before we left. Her design was carbon papered to the wall, and then we got to play with the colors. Hope we did you proud!